Jessica Potter and the Year of Great Sorrow
by Angelina Johnson
Summary: Right, this is about Harry and Hermione's daughter and her first year at Hogwarts. Someone important dies. Voldemort has a son. That's all I'll say.
1. Prologue- Shadows of Yesterday

**Title: **Jessica Potter and the Year of Great Sorrow (Prologue/?)  
  
**Author: **Angelina Johnson  
  
**E-mail: **BlewGoo2@aol.com  
  
**Category: **Action/Adventure, Mystery  
  
**Keywords: ** H/H, Jessica Potter, Robert Weasley, Jordan Black, Reese Lupin  
  
**Spoilers: **All Books  
  
**Rating: **PG  
  
**Summary:** The day of Voldemort has passed, but when his children enter the world, it's up to Harry and Hermione's oldest daughter, along with a crazy cast of friends, to save the day during a year when sorrow is not lost, and a great tragedy lurks.   
  
**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
  
  


**Jessica Potter **  
and the  
Year of Great Sorrow  
Prologue- Shadows of Yesterday  
  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  


  


Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf.  
Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed.  
of Wizards)  


  
Dear Miss Potter,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
  
Term begins September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
  
Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall  
Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress  
  
  


HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  


  
UNIFORM:  
First year students will require:  
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)  
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear  
3. One pair of protectice gloves (dragon hide or similar)  
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.  
  
COURSE BOOKS:  
All students should have a copy of the following:  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)   
by Miranda Goshawk   
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot  
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling  
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phllida Spore  
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection   
by Quentin Tremble  
  
OTHER EQUIPMENT:  
1 wand  
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)  
1 set glass or crystal phials  
1 telescope  
1 set brass scales  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.  
  
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT  
ALLOWED THEIROWN BROOMSTICKS.  
  
Dear Jessica,  
  
It's been a long summer, but we've survived. We just got back from the Cup, it was really fun, and I'm so sorry you couldn't come, but you probably would have just gotten mad when the Cannons lost and started threatening people with your wand, or Dungbombs or something. I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better, it was getting kind of scary, having you in bed all summer, and Jordan and Teresa were really worried about you, too.   
  
Guess who happened to be in the tent next to ours, Jess? Molly! It's possible that she's gotten even prettier, Jess, and I don't know what to do. I mean, obviously we're friends, I mean, I've grown up with Molly Thomas, but still................ I think she likes James. I mean, he's my cousin, and Uncle Fred and Aunt Angelina are my favorites, but this is MOLLY here. The One.  
  
Yeah, yeah, by this point you're probably saying, "Earth to Robert Weasley, Earth to Robert Weasley." You'd be saying, "You're eleven years old, boy, you're too young to even have a crush, much less be in love and have found the one." And you're right.  
  
Hey, have you gotten your letter for Hogwarts yet? I got mine a couple of weeks ago, and we're going to Diagon Alley three days before term starts, and I hope to see you there. After all, we would hate to have you not show up. I'll be there, and James, and Sara and Alex. Neil and Cameron are bringing their families, and stupid Jenny can't wait to see Karley. Or Albus, for that matter. It seems she's developed a bit of a crush on Mr. Know It All this summer. My sister is a nut. You said yourself that your brother thinks she's a bit loony sometimes, and this is definitely one of those times. Enough on my loony sister, because the rest of the gang is hoping you'll be there too, you know, Sandy, and Molly. Jordan's bringing her friend Gabby, you know, the one who is ALWAYS happy. How can someone smile all the time like she does? Aunt Tara says that she was like that, but she got a reality check when she was like fourteen. I hope Gabby gets one of those soon, because I've nearly memorized how her teeth look exactly, and that is not a pleasant picture in my mind. I wonder if Gabby was always like that, you know, all smiley and such. It's really, really annoying. Emphasis on really.  
  
Anyways, I have to go now, but I'll write you back as soon as I hear from you, okay?   
-Robert  
  
Dear Robert,  
  
Took the words right out of my mouth, you did. Get a grip. MOLLY DOES NOT LIKE YOU, SHE NEVER HAS! For that matter, Molly never has liked anyone as more than a friend, but she's got enough of those, being Miss Outgoing and Popular like she is.  
  
I'm glad you guys had fun at the Cup, and I'm really sorry I missed it. You don't know how much I wanted to go. But no, I had to get sick and be put in bed for THREE WEEKS! Honestly, my mum treats me like I'm a piece of glass that's going to break at any second, and I really don't like it. It would suit me just fine to run around in the rain, or jump in puddles, like normal kids do, but she won't even let me do that. She almost didn't want me to go to Hogwarts, becuase she says that I'll be "too vulnerable for attack without your father and I there with you." I pointed out that Albus Dumbledore's there, and that he's one of the most powerful wizards in the whole entire world, along with my dad, Sirius, Remus, etc., but my mum says that Dumbledore is getting old, and that Voldemort got into Hogwarts and attacked dad numerous times under Dumbledore's supervision. "Fine then," I say, "Let him blow me up, I don't care," but I guess that was the wrong thing to say, because I was locked in my room all day with nothing, no books, no wand, no entertainment. By the end of the day, I was down to 9,000 Bottles of Butterbeer on the Wall- I started at 1,000,000. I think I was in there more than a day, because I didn't have my watch, but Mum swears to me that I wasn't in there for more than about six hours. I wouldn't believe this, but Dad says that it was the truth, and that she let me out because she got sick of hearing 1,000,000 Bottles of Butterbeer on the Wall- I guess I was screaming louder than I thought. :)  
  
Of course, it may have been because her precious Albus, of Mini-Mum, had been given a splitting headache by my "shannanagans." Is that how you spell it? Never mind, I don't really care if it is or not, because I never, ever plan on using that word again, I was just quoting Mini-Mum.  
  
While we're on the subject of the pest........... Does Jenny really have a crush on him? I guess you're not the only Weasley to have lost your mind, ay, Rob?   
  
Yeah, can I meet you guys in Diagon Alley? I haven't seen anyone (INCLUDING YOU, YOU LAZY ROTTEN EXCUSE FOR A BEST FRIEND- just kidding)in at least a month, and this lack of sane company (because I assure you, my siblings are NOT sane) is making me CRAZY!  
  
Can't wait........... I'll see you then.  
-Jess  
  
  
Dear Jessica,  
  
Greetings to my greatly pitied friend in the nut hut. Rumor from the Rob-man is that you ticked your mum off greatly and spent six hours singing about bottles of butterbeer- you are totally losing it, girl. Of course, spending time with the goblins that are your little brother and sister, I would have done the same. Sirius and Melissa are a pain, aren't they? Don't worry, it's much worse for me. Adam screams all night long. I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts and escape from the wailer. All he does is scream. And scream. And scream, and scream, and scream, and scream, and SCREAM! It makes ME feel like screaming. The only time I had a good night's sleep all summer was when I stayed with Gabby and Virginia. Unfortunately for me, Amelia lives about a block away from Gab, and Mia bugs us to death. She came by every single day, trying to find one way or another to upset Gabby, but Gabby's a lot stronger emotionally than she was before, and she is so awesome around Mia. Gab finds all these witty things to say that tick her off, but she comes by anyway. I about slapped her yesterday, but Helen (Gabby's mum) wouldn't have liked that too much, I don't suppose. Mum said that you can stay with us for the week before Hogwarts, but if I were you, between Adam's screaming here, and the fact that you won't see your parents again for a year, in all likelihood, and it's your first year, you probably won't want to, and I totally understand.  
  
I'm so excited about you coming to Hogwarts this year. Gab's great and all, but you've been my best friend since you were born. It's kind of weird, though, since when we're together, it's usually not just you and me, it's the wonder three, you. me, and Reese. Dad laughs every time he sees us together, because he says that it's the same as it always has been, Potter, Black, and Lupin. My dad, Reese's dad, and your grand-dad were best friends. Mum says that it's not just the men, though, that it was the same for her, Reese's mum, and your grandmum Lily. I said I don't really care, and Dad just laughed and said he would have said the same thing at my age, but Mum wasn't too happy, and she sent me up to my room to think about the disrespect I had payed, but when I started stomping off, she just laughed and said that she was kidding. My parents are nutters.  
  
Love always,  
  
Jordie  
  
Dear Jordan,  
  
Mum doesn't want me to come, so I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express. We just got back from Diagon Alley, and I've got all my stuff. I can't wait!  
  
See you September 1st!  
  
Love always,  
  
Jess  
  
  
**A/N:** The prologue was written in an attempt to get you inside Jessica's personality and learn about her and her friends from her point of view, through her own words in letters. The first chapter will actually have some sort of a plot. Promise.  
  
  



	2. Chapter 1- Headed for Hogwarts- Almost

**Title: **Jessica Potter and the Year of Great Sorrow (1/?)  
  
**Author: **Angelina Johnson  
  
**E-mail: **BlewGoo2@aol.com  
  
**Category: **Action/Adventure, Mystery  
  
**Keywords: ** H/H, Jessica Potter, Robert Weasley, Jordan Black, Reese Lupin  
  
**Spoilers: **All Books  
  
**Rating: **PG  
  
**Summary:** The day of Voldemort has passed, but when his children enter the world, it's up to Harry and Hermione's oldest daughter, along with a crazy cast of friends, to save the day during a year when sorrow is not lost, and a great tragedy lurks.   
  
**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
  
  


**Jessica Potter **  
and the  
Year of Great Sorrow  
Chapter 1 Headed for Hogwarts - Almost  
  


My name is Jessica Potter. I've been eleven years old since April 17, and no one in the world but me knows how happy I was for that birthday to come. It was nice, because it meant I was free.  
  
Free from what, you may ask. Well, if you have a sibling, then you know what I live through. I'm the oldest of four kids, which is, well, a coincidence, since my dad is an only child, and, well, so is my mum.   
  
I've got three siblings, and they are each greatly annoying in their own way. First there's Albus. He's ten, and he's a royal know it all. He thinks he knows everything about everyone, and he always, every time, has to get his way. He's Mum's favorite, and Dad says that's because Albus is just like Mum was at that age. Therefore, he has been dubbed 'Mini Mum' by none other than moi.  
  
Then there are the twins. They're named for Dad's godparents, Sirius and Melissa Black, and they're the family mega pains. Melissa's favorite thing to do is go around and jump on people's backs when they aren't looking, and Sirius, well, in my opinion, he's more trouble than he's worth. He scribbles on the wall in huge letters, and Mum has to go around with Magical Mess Remover all day long. Well, at least it keeps her from getting on me. "Jessica, turn your music down," "Jessica, comb your hair," "Jessica, don't fly quite so high!" I swear, it never ends with her.  
  
  
Dad says she's worried about me. HA! She just doesn't want me to have any fun. I told Dad that, and he says she really is worried, and that he is too, he just isn't as strict about it.   
  
Dad loves me. A lot. He grew up with no parents, and if that wasn't bad enough, his aunt and uncle hated him. They treated him horribly. He doesn't want that for us, so he kind of lets us do whatever we want. He gets us all kinds of stuff. Albus has more books than any kid needs, Sirius and Melissa have plenty of tools for destruction, and I've got the best broomstick out there, not to mention a really great teacher (Did I mention that my dad is the coolest?).  
  
There's more to my family than that, but it really doesn't matter. Nobody needs to know about the time that Albus got his head flushed in the loo by Sirius, or the time that Melissa set off Fillibuster's Fireworks in the lady next door's hair. And I beg you, please do not repeat, or Mum will have my head- what else is new.  
  
If you think my family is wacked, though, then you obviously have never met my friends. First, and foremost, there is Robert Weasley. My Mum and Dad were best friends with Rob's dad when they were at Hogwarts, and Rob and I are repeating history(Well, sort of). He's one of the sweetest guys on the planet and all, but sometimes he just drives me off the wall. Like his crush on Molly. It is totally pathetic- the boy thinks that she's his soulmate, for crying out loud, but he's only 11 years old like me.  
  
As for Molly, well, I won't deny that Molly Thomas is beautiful, far too beautiful for her 11 years, but it still doesn't make Robert any less pathetic. I guess Mrs. Weasley (Okay, how many times has the woman told me to call her Lavender? Like a million?) and Parvati(Mrs. Thomas) pushed them together a little too much, because Robert is absolutely obsessed with Molly, and it makes me so mad.  
  
Then there's Molly's best friend, Sara Weasley. Sara also happens to be Robert's cousin. Sara's mum, Tara, is the Ministress of Magic, which is so cool. Not only is she the first female minister, but she was the youngest ever. She's had that title since she was nineteen years old, and before that, she was a big Quidditch star. Which, might I add, is what her dad does. George Weasley plays Beater for the Chudley Cannons, and in his spare time he helps his twin run a joke shop called Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. They have two locations, Hogsmeade Village, and Diagon Alley.   
  
Sara and Robert have loads of cousins, I mean, there are like a dozen Weasley kids, at least. Robert has a little sister named Jenny, who happens to be one of Albus's best friends.  
  
Then there's Sara's little brother, William. Will is a lot like Tara, a hard worker that still knows how to have fun. After that you've got Alex and Derek. Those two are only a year apart, and that year made all the difference in the world. Their parents, Percy and Penelope, are both work-a-holics (they both have fairly high ranks in the Ministry- but that's probably because the Ministress is family), and Alex is, too, but Derek is like Fred and George, he loves to play jokes and all this stuff. Sometimes I wish Derek were my age and Alex Albus', instead of the other way around, because Derek is loads of fun, and Alex is just a spoil sport.   
  
Then there's Jo. She's fourteen, and the oldest of the Weasley clan. Her dad, Bill, works in Gringott's Bank, and he's the vice president, so he's really important, and her Mum, Kelly, is a model for Madam Malkin's Dress Robe Branch. She's on the cover of Witch Weekly all the time. Her brother, Paul, is seven, and he is a pain in the butt. He's good friends with Sirius, and when they're together they make ten times the mess that Sirius makes alone.   
  
Next there are the twins, Reena and Pippa. Their Mum, Katherine, is also a Beater for the Chudley Cannons, and George says she makes a great partner, and their Dad, Charlie, travels a lot. He works with dragons, and he used to live in Romania so that he could work with them, but when he met Katherine, he settled down and moved back near his family. The twins have a little brother named Jon, and he's Sirius and Melissa's age, too, but he's reltively calm and doesn't make a lot of mess.  
  
There's also James Weasley. His dad, Fred, is George's twin and he's the one who owns Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. His Mum, Angelina, is a reporter for the Daily Prophet. James has two siblings, the terrible twosome that wreaks havoc alongside Sirius and Melissa. Their names are Kimberly and Kevin, but they may as well be Monster and Maniac. When you put them with Sirius and Melissa, let's just say that it's not a pretty sight.  
  
The last of the Weasley's, who aren't Weasley by name but by blood, are Draco, Arthur, and Ashanti Malfoy. They're triplets, and their Mum, Ginny, was the only girl out of seven Weasley's growing up. Her husband, Draco, has always been a long time enemy of the Weasley boys, particularly Ron, Fred, and George, but that didn't stop Ginny from falling head over heels in love with him. Draco, Jr. was named after his father, Arthur after Ginny's father, and Draco chose the name Ashanti totally out of nowhere. Draco owns a broom company, and they have some of the best brooms out there. In fact, they made my Thundercloud7000, which is _the_ best broom ever. Ginny has her own clothes company, and she has totally rewritten the word style in the wizarding world.  
  
The one way you can be sure that you're talking to a Weasley is if they have red hair. Each and every single one of the Weasley kids has red hair, from Jo right down to Monster and Maniac. They stand out in a crowd, so at least you know you can't possibly lose them in a crowd.  
  
Fortunately, aside from the Weasley's, none of my other friends have red hair, because if they did I think I'd go crazy. All that red, it tends to give you a headache.  
  
For example, there's my good friend, Sandy Finnigan. She has blond hair. Her dad, Seamus, is a Manager for the Irish Quidditch Team, and her Mum, Michelle, teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. Sandy has one little brother, Kyle, and he's 10, like Albus, but fortunately for Sandy he's quiet.  
  
Then there's Neil Longbottom. He's a total moron, like his Dad wa sat that age, and his Mum doesn't help things. Both Neville and Jill Longbottom are doctors in our world, and they are at work all of the time. Neil doesn't mind, though, which is a good thing.  
  
There's also Cameron Wood. His dad, Oliver, and his mum, Katie, are both Quidditch players, which would be pretty cool, if it weren't for the fact that Katie plays Chaser for the Cannons and Oliver plays for Ireland. They have a friendly household, though, for two people who are so competitive. I guess that's where Cameron and his little sister Karley (she's 10, too) get it.  
  
Last, but certainly not least, are Jordan Black and Reese Lupin. Jordan's parents, Sirius and Melissa, are my dad's god parents, and they were also Dad's parent's best friends. Dad spent his last three summers of childhood with them, and he said he couldn't have had it any better than that. Jordie is one of my two best friends. It doesn't really matter to us that she's a year older than me because we get along so well. If you think my siblings are bad, though, Jordan's got a little brother named Adam, and he isn't even one yet. Jordie can't wait to get back to Hogwarts, because she says all Adam does is wail day in and day out. Albus did that too, but I was too little to care, and Sirius and Melissa were unusually quiet for such wild little kids. Reese Lupin is Jordie and my's other best friend. Her real name is Teresa, but everyone calls her Reese. Her parents were also close friends with my grand parents, and her Dad, Remus, is actually a werewolf. He's so nice, too, it makes you feel bad when you think about it. Reese had got a twin named Ryan, and he's a lot better than Albus. Did I mention that Reese is a year younger than me, which would make her Albus's age? Again, though, no one cares, because Reese, Jordie and I are the wonder three. We have more fun than should be legal, according to Percy Weasley, but no one else seems to mind.  
  
I don't know if I could survive without my best friends, because they mean the world to me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.   
  
As for my family, well, let's just say it will be a relief to get away from them for a while when I'm at Hogwarts.  
  
"Nine hundred ninety nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine bottles of butterbeer on the wall, nine hundred ninety nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine bottles of butterbeer, take one down, pass it around, Nine hundred ninety nine thousand nine hundred ninety eight bottles of butterbeer on the wall!"  
  
"Jessica Potter!" Mum fumed, and I sighed. We were almost to King's Cross Station, the date, September the first, but I had been desperate to give my family a parting gift- my beautiful voice.  
  
Yeah, right. More like I had been desperate to part.


	3. Chapter 2 The Hogwarts Express

Jessica Potter and the Year of Great Sorrow  
  
Chapter 2- The Hogwarts Express  
  
Let me start by telling you that it was definitely an interesting day. To start it off, Mum and Dad, along with my three favorite brats, took me to Hogwarts. Mum fussed the whole way there. She kept asking me if I had remembered to pack all of my school supplies, and then she reminded me not to get into too much trouble. She reminded me of all sorts of rules.   
  
"Don't wander around at night! You'll always get caught. And don't you dare go near the forest, Jessica Lillian Potter! You better not have any Dungbombs or fireworks in your trunk, because you WON'T be using them, of course," Mum reminded me.   
  
"'Mione, she knows the rules," Dad reminded her.  
  
"Oh, Harry, you remember all the trouble that we got into, I just want Jessica to be better than that," Mum said.  
  
"That's what Albus is for," I muttered darkly.  
  
"What did you say, young lady?" Mum asked, turning on me angrily.   
  
"Nothing," I said quickly, and Mum took Albus and the twins with her through the barrier, leaving me and Dad with my stuff.  
  
"I agree with you," he said with a mischievous grin. I smiled back. I love my dad. He understands me perfectly.  
  
"Did you pack the cloak that I gave you?" he asked me in a whisper as we walked through the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10.  
  
"Yep. It's in the secret compartment of my trunk, with my fireworks, my Dungbombs, the Marauder's map, and my broom," I said with a grin. Dad had helped me install the magical compartment of my trunk so that only I could get into it. Mum would never know that it was there.  
  
"Which you won't be using," Dad reminded me.  
  
"Which part won't I be using?" I asked himinnocently, though I already knew what he was going to say. First years weren't allowed to have brooms.  
  
"The broom. You know I don't mean to sound like your Mum, but you only have the broom in case you ABSOLUTELY need it. No joy rides," Dad reminded me.  
  
"Fine, fine. I won't use it-this year. But next year you can bet that I'll be trying out for Quidditch," I said.  
  
"You'd better be trying out for Quidditch, Jess. You can't let me down. You're the only one of my kids with talent," he said with a laugh. I smiled. Albus refused to fly, and the few times that he had been on a broom he had fallen off. Sirius and Melissa were decent flyers for seven year olds, but they had no control and they lived to whack the Bludgers all over the place. They weren't like Dad and I. That was one of the many things that I had gained from my dad-his talent as a Quidditch Seeker. Dad says that I'm good, and that I have a lot of talent. I hope he's right. I love Quidditch.  
  
We were inside of the barrier at this point. Sirius and Melissa were now running around the platform with Kim and Kev Weasley. Mum looked majorly peeved. Albus was talking to Jenny Weasley, who was grinning happily. It looked like Robert was right-Jenny certainly acted like she had a crush on my brother.  
  
Dad and I loaded my stuff onto the train, and then we went back onto the platform. After all, there was still about twenty minutes until the train was to leave. Sirius Black, Jordan's dad, came over to talk to Dad. I quickly made an excuse to leave, and I wandered over to where Jordan. She was with her friends from her year. I had only met one of them before, Gabby Bernstein. She had been Jordan's best friend at Hogwarts last year, and I had met her during the holidays when she had come to stay with the Blacks.  
  
"Jess!" Jordan squealed when she saw me.  
  
"Hey, Jordie," I replied, smiling at her.  
  
"Guys, this is Jessica Potter, the one I've been telling you about. Jess, you already know Gab, this is Gin-Virgina O'Connell-and this is Ryan O'Casey," she said, pointing to the blond girl and the boy with the light brown hair. They smiled at me.  
  
"It's nice to meet you. We've heard a lot about you from Jordan," Ryan said, shaking my hand.  
  
"Any friend of Jordan's is a friend of ours," Virginia said, shaking my hand as well. They seemed nice, but I wished that I could find some of my friends. So far the only people I saw were Alex Weasley and Neil Longbottom, and I didn't really feel like talking to them. Jenny was still talking to Albus, and I wondered where Robert was. I hadn't gotten a chance to really talk to him in ages. I had seen him in Diagon Alley three days ago, but it had only been briefly. I hadn't even talked to him-we'd just waved from across the street. He had been with James, Neil, Alex, and Cameron, and I had been with Sandy, Molly, and Sara. Robert later wrote and said that he had tried to come talk to us, but the other guys had made him go with them to Quality Quidditch Supplies while we were in Flourish and Blotts. I had a feeling that he had wanted to talk to us because of Molly, and not because of me as he had claimed, but I hadn't bothered to write him back and tell him so.  
  
Finally, the twenty minutes was over, and I gave my Mum and Dad hugs before I got on the train. Albus ignored me, but Sirius and Melissa shot off a Fillibuster Firework right on the platform. Mum started to yell at them, but they claimed that they had only wanted to give their sister a proper farewell. I looked out the train window once I was on board. Mum still looked peeved at Sirius and Lissy. I laughed at the sight. Albus was also glaring at them in disapproval, but Dad was beaming. Jordan asked me if I wanted to sit with her and her friends, but I told her that I would find my friends, so I ended up in a compartment at the back, looking out the window.  
  
"Nice Fireworks display the twins gave you, Potter," a voice said behind me. I turned around and saw red hair, blue eyes, and freckles.  
  
"Robert!" I shrieked. He and I closed the gap of five feet between us, and I threw my arms around him. He seemed a little surprised at first, but then he returned the hug. We were best friends, after all, and we hadn't seen each other all summer.  
  
"Oh! I'm so glad I found you guys, so far I hadn't seen anyone else that I knew besides Jordan and her friends," Molly Thomas said. Robert quickly broke our hug, and he whirled around to face Molly.  
  
"Hi, Molly," he said awkwardly.   
  
"You're eleven," I muttered under my breath so that only Robert could hear me. He shook his head slightly, never taking his eyes off of Molly. Her dark brown hair hung down her back in a long braid, and her dark brown eyes were wide with excitement.  
  
"Hey, Mollz!" I said enthusiastically.   
  
"Oh, Jess, I'm SO excited!" Molly said, grinning at me. Molly took the seat next to me, and Robert sat across from us.  
  
"I know! I really hope that we end up in Gryffindor," I said.  
  
"I don't see why we wouldn't, I mean, all of our parents were in Gryffindor, but I guess you never know for sure, right? I suppose we can't ALL be in Gryffindor. It'll be so odd, though, if we end up in different houses. I mean, all of us have been raised together!" Molly said.  
  
"I wouldn't mind if Alex were in a different house. Or James," Robert muttered darkly.  
  
"They're your cousins, why wouldn't you want them to be in the same house as you, RObert?" Molly asked, alarmed.  
  
"I dunno. James and I get on each others nerves at times. And, well, Alex is a bit of an insufferable know it all," Robert said.  
  
"Reminds me of my brother," I said.  
  
"Well, James ought to be in Gryffindor. There's no reason that he wouldn't be," Molly said.  
  
"Alex could end up in a different house, his Mum was a Ravenclaw," I pointed out.  
  
"Thank God," Robert said. Molly shook her head.  
  
"I thought James and Alex were your best friends, though! You've always done everything together," Molly said.  
  
"Nope. They're my cousins. I'm forced to like them. Jess and Cameron are my best friends," Robert said.   
  
"What about me?" Cameron Wood asked as he came into the compartment, along with Sara Weasley, Sandy Finnigan and James.   
  
"Hey, Cam," Robert said as the four of them sat down.  
  
"We've been looking for you three. We were in a compartment further up with Neil, Alex and the triplets, but we decided that they would drive us crazy by the end of the day. Dad told me that this is gonna be a LONG ride," Cameron said.  
  
"Yeah, I've heard as much," Molly said with a laugh. We rearranged the seats now that they had joined us. Molly ended up between Sara and James on one side, while Cameron, Robert, Sandy and I sat on the other side.  
  
"So, what's been happening with you guys?" I asked, trying to make conversation.  
  
"Lord, Jess, you missed an excellent World Cup. I can't believe that your Mum wouldn't let you come," Cameron said to me.  
  
"Gee, thanks for reminding me, Cam," I said darkly.  
  
"She was sick," Molly said.  
  
"Yeah, Jess, there'll be other World Cups," Sandy said helpfully. I tried to smile, but the memory of missing the World Cup still made me seethe with anger.  
  
"You didn't miss much. It wasn't that great, no matter what Cameron tells you. He just thinks it was cool to see his Dad play against his Mum. We've definitely seen better," Robert whispered in my ear.  
  
"Thanks, Rob," I said.  
  
"Hey, you guys, I was wondering if your parents have heard anything lately about Amadeus? I mean, that you know of," Sara said. Everyone in the compartment shuddered at the mention of Amadeus. Amadeus was the son of Lord Voldemort. Although Dad had defeated Voldemort years ago, before I was even born, not all of the Dark Lord's supporters had been punished. Those that had been left to roam free had chosen instead to follow Voldemort's son, Amadeus. Although Amadeus wasn't very well known yet, he had begun to gain power at a steady rate. My parents and their friends had been trying very hard to stop him, but so far they had not accomplished much. Amadeus had gained many new supporters, supporters that his father had not had. These supporters were harder to stop because they were totally unknown to the members of the Order of Phoenix.  
  
"No," I said quickly when I realized that all their eyes were on me. My friends had not been quick to forget the first attack that Amadeus had ever made. Amadeus and a few of his supporters had attacked Dad and I when we were on our way home from a Quidditch match. Nothing bad had happened, but I'll admit that it did freak me out a little. I'm not as brave as Dad, but I suppose that has something to do with the factthat Dad fought Voldemort all his life. Amadeus doesn't even compare to his Dad, but that's okay because I don't exactly compare to mine. All the wizarding world expects me to become some big hero just like my dad, but I just don't see it happening. Sara had told me quite a while ago about all of this, and I suppose that might have something to do with Mum's over-protectiveness.  
  
"Jess, he's getting more powerful," Sandy said.  
  
"So? What does any of that have to do with me?" I asked.  
  
"Well, with your dad and all....." Sara began.  
  
"I'm not my dad," I pointed out.  
  
"And Amadeus isn't his," James said.  
  
"Jessica, you know that your family is bound to be one of Amadeus' targets. Your dad has fought his war, this is our war," Sara said.  
  
"We're eleven," I said angrily.  
  
"She uses that excuse a lot," Robert said with a grin.  
  
  
  
"Your dad was only ONE when he defeated Voldemort for the first time," Cameron pointed out. I looked to Robert for help. He understood that I hated talking about Amadeus' even more than I hated having the attention on me. That made this conversaton particularly bad, as it was both about Amadeus AND me. Robert caught my gaze, and he spoke.  
  
"So, what subject are you guys looking forward to most?" he asked.  
  
"Defense Against the Dark Arts, of course," Sandy said with a wicked grin.  
  
"Won't it be weird, being taught by your mother?" Molly asked her. Sandy shrugged.  
  
"Suppose maybe it will be. Everyone I've talked to seems to think Mum is a really cool teacher, though, and we get along really well, so I don't guess it will be that weird," Sandy said.  
  
"I think it'll be fun having your Mum teach us!" Molly said enthusiastically.  
  
"Is she always this happy?" I muttered to Robert under my breath.  
  
"Isn't it great?" he asked me happily. I felt so much like smacking him. Rob may be one of my best friends, but he honestly drives me crazy sometimes.  
  
We talked a bit longer about what classes we were most looking forward to, and then the topic changed to Quidditch. About midway through the day, a friendly lady pushed a cart through out compartment.  
  
"Would you like anything to eat?" she asked us, smiling broadly. We each bought a pack of Chocolate Frogs, and we bought a couple of bags of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans to split between us.  
  
"I think I've found a bogey flavored one," Cameron said as he bit into a green one. I laughed, and I picked up a red one. To my relief, it was cherry.  
  
"Aagh! Sardines," Robert said. He spit the bean out onto the floor of the train. Everyone laughed at him.  
  
"It's not funny, it's disgusting. They shouldn't sell these things," he said angrily, and he looked around for something to drink. Finally, he took out a Chocolate Frog to get rid of the sardine flavor.  
  
"Hey, look, I got your dad's card, Jess," Robert said. I looked at the card he was holding. Sure enough, there was a picture of my dad, smiling. His black hair was messy, as usual, and it was sticking up in all kinds of odd directions. His green eyes were framed with his glasses, and the lightning bolt scar on his forehead was mostly covered by his bangs. I had heard about this card from my dad, who had been reluctant to let the company use him on one of their cards. It was very rare, and I had never actually seen one before.  
  
"Harry Potter-Head of the Auror Division of the Ministry of Magic," Robert read aloud.  
  
"Harry Potter is considered the savior of the modern wizarding world. He is best known for his numerous battles against the Dark Lord Voldemort, the most feared Dark Wizard ever, who he ultimately defeated when he was seventeen years old," Cameron read. I grinned. Dad had never seen one of these cards, and I was sure that when he did see it he would hate it. Dad had never liked having the attention drawn to him.   
  
"Robert, can I have that?" I asked him.  
  
"Aw, Jess, I need it for my collection," he whined.  
  
"It's her father, for Pete's sake," Molly said.  
  
"Shouldn't you already have a ton of these?" Robert asked. I shook my head.  
  
"Oh, fine," he said reluctantly.   
  
For a while longer, we continued to eat Every Flavor Beans and Chocolate Frogs. We came across some more interesting bean flavors, including grass and earwax. We also came across a few more cards of people that we recognized. We found the card for Albus DUmbledore, and for Sirius Black and Severus Snape.   
  
  
  
"Dad says to expect trouble from Snape in Potions," Robert said when we came across the card.  
  
"Yeah, apparently he hates ALL Gryffindors," Molly said.  
  
"And all Weasleys," Sara added.  
  
"He'll probably hate ME the most," I pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, Dad told me about how much he loathed your Grandad, and how that wore off on his opinion of your Dad. I expect it'll wear off on you, too," Robert said. Just then, the compartment door slid open and in walked a girl with brown hair and blue eyes. She was short, and not exactly thin. She looked like the type of person who would be shy.  
  
"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," she said.  
  
"You're not disturbing anyone," Molly said, being friendly as usual.   
  
"I'm Amy. Amy Holmes," she said.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Amy. I'm Molly Thomas," Molly said, and shook the girl's hand. Next, Cameron, Sandy, Sara, and James introduced themselves and shook her hand. When I introduced myself, however, the girl stared at me in awe.  
  
"Potter? As in HARRY Potter?" she asked me in awe.  
  
"Yeah, Harry Potter," I said, grinning.  
  
"Wow! But you're like famous!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Jess isn't famous, her Dad is," Robert muttered darkly. He hated it when I got attention. It wasn't really fair of him, he always blamed me, but it's not my fault that I am who I am, and that my Dad is who he is. Robert knows that Dad and I both would prefer no attention at all, and it always hurts my attention when he gets mad at me. Dad says that RObert gets it from his Dad, and that Ron Weasley was like that when he was at Hogwarts. He said that Ron was always jealous of hime because Ron had never gotten a lot of attention, coming from a big family, and Dad was always the center of it.  
  
"And who are you?" Amy said, turning to him.  
  
"Robert Weasley," he said coldly. Amy extended her hand, but Robert did not take it. I shot hima warning glance, but he ignored me. Amy looked at him, and then she quickly made an excuse to leave.  
  
"Robert Charles Weasley! You could have at least tried to be nice? What's wrong with you?" I asked him.  
  
"I didn't like her," he replied. I hadn't exactly liked her, but I had at least been nice to her.  
  
"That's no excuse," I said.  
  
"Why didn't you like her? She seemed nice," Molly said.  
  
"I just didn't, okay? She seemed fake, all bubbly and like," Robert said.  
  
"Fine. Whatever," Molly said.  
  
"Molly's bubbly," I hissed to him, "But you don't seem to mind her."  
  
"Molly's different. She's Molly," he replied.  
  
"What do you two keep whispering about?" Cameron asked us.  
  
"Nothing," Robert said quickly.  
  
The rest of the day, and the rest of the train ride, passed very quickly. Before we knew it, we had pulled into Hogsmeade Station. Dark had fallen as we got off of the train. 


End file.
